The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to electrical connector systems having electrical power connections and guide features.
Electrical connectors are commonly used to interconnect electrical components together. For example, electrical connectors are sometimes used to electrically connect two circuit boards together. To interconnect the electrical components, an electrical connector of one of the electrical components is mated with an electrical connector of the other electrical component along mating interfaces of the connectors. As the electrical connectors are mated together, signal, power, and/or ground contacts that extend along the mating interfaces engage each other to electrically connect the connectors, and thereby the electrical components, together.
Some electrical connectors include guide members for aligning the mating interfaces of the connectors. Specifically, as the electrical connectors are mated together, guide members on each of the connectors cooperate to align the corresponding contacts of the electrical connectors with each other. For example, electrical connectors where the contacts and/or the mating interfaces are not visible during mating, sometimes referred to as blind-mate connectors, often include guide members. Guide members typically include posts or similar structures that extend outwardly from a housing of one of the electrical connectors. The posts are received within corresponding openings within the housing of the other electrical connector to ensure the connectors are properly aligned.
In known electrical connectors, the guide features are spaced apart along the housing from the mating interface and the contacts that extend along the mating interface. Accordingly, the housing must include extra space for accommodating the guide members. Due to the ever increasing demand for smaller and denser electrical connections, it may be difficult to provide some electrical connectors with guide members. For example, it may be difficult or impossible to increase a number and/or density of electrical connections on a circuit board while still providing electrical connectors mounted on the circuit board with guide members. Providing extra space for the guide members on the housing may be especially problematic for electrical connectors that have separate mating interfaces for signal contacts and power contacts.